


Another Language

by evergreenstringbean



Series: Always Starting Over [2]
Category: Bandstand - Oberacker/Oberacker & Taylor, From Here to Eternity - Brayson & Rice/Oakes
Genre: Fluff, From Here to Eternity spoilers, Instrument Duet, M/M, My crack ship is staying because I said so, Slow Burn, Taking this real slow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:54:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23649544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evergreenstringbean/pseuds/evergreenstringbean
Summary: Impromptu duets lead to interesting thoughts as Jimmy learns more about the new employee of The Blue WispContinuation of "Something in Return"
Relationships: Jimmy Campbell & Angelo Maggio, Jimmy Campbell/Angelo Maggio, Jo Davis/Morgan Wilson
Series: Always Starting Over [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1700851
Kudos: 2





	Another Language

**Author's Note:**

> This series start off as me wanting more people to watch From Here to Eternity but now I'm starting to like this so deal with it

It was way too hot to be out today. If it were up to Jimmy, he’d be at home under the comfort of air conditioning, but it had been a few days since he’d stopped by to see Jo and in all honesty, he just wanted a place to play his sax by himself aside from his tiny apartment. He needed the change of scenery.

These were all the things Jimmy was telling himself, that he was just going to visit a friend and get out of the house. It certainly wasn’t because ever since the band had gone in for a celebration and met the new employee of The Blue Wisp, the man had thought more about his own feelings in a light he hadn’t experienced since before the war. Or at least, before the war had given him the reasons to ignore his emotions. 

Angelo Maggio instilled in Jimmy a wild curiosity. Thousands of questions popped into his head at random intervals, ones about the war and Schofield to just simple ones about his childhood or old friends. There was an urge in him to just know more. Reading people was something Jimmy was very good at. He took internal pride in being able to pick up social cues and read body language like it was the morning paper. Though he could still do so with Angelo, it was harder than most other people he’d come to know. It was like he prepared for that, expected people to try and figure out his next move without words or outward mentions, and covered it with broad smiles and requests to start a game of poker. 

There was a good chance that Angelo wasn’t even at the club yet, since it was just past noon and the doors weren’t opened until later in the day. Not that Jimmy was only going to see him. He assured himself as he crossed the street that that was not the case.

The Blue Wisp was much different in the day than during business hours. It was quieter, emptier, and the lights bounced more clearly on the hard floor. It was the perfect place to be when his cramped apartment provided more discomfort than familiarity. As expected, Jimmy turned his head to see Jo and Morgan setting up tables...or rather, holding chairs and making each other laugh under the guise of doing actual work. It made the man smile to see Jo so happy. He was glad that he had at least one example of a love returning home and not destroyed by the horror of the war. If it had to be one of them to lose someone, he’d rather it be him. 

Despite it being quiet, it wasn’t entirely silent. The sound of music was faint, coming from the corner of the room as Jimmy followed it with his eyes. He was surprised to see Angelo sitting on a bar stool, absentmindedly plucking at a ukulele. He too was looking over at the girls, a far off look in his eyes and a smile playing on his lips. He was in his usual getup, white undershirt with a red Hawaiian button up over and khakis, as though he never really left Schofield’s weekend fashion trends behind him when he came home. 

Jimmy had seen Angelo a few times since the night the band came by. He’d come down to the club a couple of times to spend time with Jo and have a few drinks, hiding his ulterior motive with glances over at the man who cleaned tables and danced with girls when a song was particularly high energy. He knew Jo would smirk at him, but he’d ignore it and just continue draining his glass.

“I didn’t know you could play,” he said after greeting both Jo and Morgan and setting his sax case in a chair next to Angelo’s bar stool.

He stopped brushing his fingertips over the strings to focus his attention on Jimmy, resting the instrument on his lap. “Yep. Picked it up in Hawaii. I could only win so many card games before it just got sad for Bloom, so I asked a fella to teach me how to play.” Jimmy imagined a frustrated Angelo plucking at the strings, giving up on the correct chords in favor of joking around instead. He almost laughed at the thought before turning away to open his case and begin assembling his saxophone. “Ah, I’m finally gonna get to hear ya play live? Must be my lucky day!”

Jimmy let out a laugh at that, sticking his reed in his mouth and attempting to talk without it falling on the floor. “Jo lets me come in to practice. It’s quiet here and there’s no neighbors to complain.” He watched the other’s face as he grabbed the strip of wood and tightened it to his instrument before playing a few notes to warm up. “Any requests?”

Angelo gave him a bright smile and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. “Surprise me,” he said, Jo and Morgan abandoned their set up job at the sight of the saxophone in Jimmy’s hands.

He only grinned in return and began to play, really improvising more than choosing a song. When he was in moods like these he preferred to play whatever came to mind first, get any unnecessary feelings out through the music to keep from blowing a fuse on his own terms. What he wasn’t expecting, however, was Angelo picking back up the ukulele and playing along with him. He looked so concentrated as he played, but began to relax as they got into a rhythm. 

This was familiar to Jimmy. Back when Donny had snuck through the back of the club and they played together for the first time and his fleeting schoolboy crush came into fruition. But this wasn’t a crush, because it couldn’t be. Moving forward and moving on were two very different things, and Jimmy wasn’t okay with the latter. That wasn’t to say he didn’t envy Donny and Julia’s new life together, or Nick and Wayne’s, or Jo and Morgan’s. He wanted what they had more than anything. But he just wasn’t ready, and if he were being honest, he was beginning to worry that he might never be.

The last note faded out slowly, and a sharp laugh along with a three person applause snapped him from his wandering thoughts to see Angelo now stood up next to the girls. “Damn, you’re really good. No wonder the band’s records can’t stay on the shelves.” 

“I think that’s more thanks to Julia. Her voice is beautiful,” he replied when he pulled the mouthpiece away, swinging the instrument to rest at his side. 

“I think you’re selling yourself short,” Jo commented with a pointed look at her friend. “You’re the first one Donny came to. You’re obviously good if he went out of his way to track you down and beg you to join.”

Jimmy swiftly changed the subject by motioning to the ukulele Angelo had set on the bar. “You’re really good on that thing. You said a guy at Schofield taught you?”

Angelo’s excitement dulled a little but he hid it well enough to fool Jo and Morgan, and it almost fooled Jimmy too, if he hadn’t been as attentive as he was. “Nah, this fella I was seeing at Waikiki Tavern taught me. Hal. There was that raid I got caught at and I haven’t seem ‘im since.” The silence that followed was more devastating than awkward, before Angelo cleared his throat. “But, at least he taught me something good.” He stepped over to grab the instrument, sneaking a glance at his watch. “Ah- look at that, I gotta go. I said I’d have lunch with my sister and if I’m late again I’m sure she’ll kill me with her bare hands. I’ll be back before my shift starts.”

“Alright, say hi for us. And for the love of God,  _ eat something healthy _ , Angelo. Fries don’t count as a whole meal.”

“They sure do count if you eat enough of ‘em, Jo,” he shot back with a laugh, turning to Jimmy. “Will I see ya tonight?”

He was going to say no at first, thinking he’d already spent too many nights at The Blue Wisp to be normal, but he considered the alternative of sitting alone at home and thought otherwise. “Sure. I’ll be here.”

“Great,” Angelo said through his grin. “Save me a dance, alright?"

Before Jimmy could completely register what the man had said and ask what he meant, he was bidding his goodbyes and making his way out the door. Morgan sent him a knowing grin and all he could do was stand there, anticipating the evening to come with worry and maybe, just maybe, a hint of excitement.

And that, he decided, was the moment he realized he was well and truly fucked.

**Author's Note:**

> Look saxophones and ukuleles go so well together if done right


End file.
